Fixed position hybrid germicidal irradiation apparatus, method, and system

ABSTRACT

A hybrid germicidal irradiation apparatus, method, and system for multi-band germicidal irradiation. A first plurality of emitters and a second plurality of emitters may be coupled to a housing configured to be coupled to a ceiling of an interior room. The first plurality of emitters and the second plurality of emitters may be operable to emit UV-C radiation at a wavelength of about 265 nanometers and near-UV radiation at a wavelength of about 405 nanometers, respectively. One or more radiation sensors are configured to measure the amount of UV-C light or near UV-C light reflected from a target surface. A controller may be communicably engaged with the radiation sensors to calculate an amount of UV-C radiation and near-UV radiation delivered to a target surface or interior space.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 16/787,339, filed on Feb. 11, 2020 entitled “FIXED POSITIONHYBRID GERMICIDAL IRRADIATION APPARATUS, METHOD, AND SYSTEM”, which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/869,417,filed on Jan. 12, 2018 entitled “FIXED POSITION HYBRID GERMICIDALIRRADIATION APPARATUS, METHOD, AND SYSTEM”, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/445,415, filed on Jan. 12, 2017entitled “FIXED POSITION HYBRID GERMICIDAL IRRADIATION APPARATUS, METHODAND SYSTEM,” the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated in theirentireties at least by virtue of this reference.

FIELD

This invention relates to methods and devices for bacterial, fungaland/or viral sterilization and disinfection, and is more particularlydirected to an apparatus, method and system for ultraviolet andnear-ultraviolet germicidal irradiation.

BACKGROUND

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is a disinfection method thatuses short-wavelength ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill or inactivatemicroorganisms. One mechanism by which UV-C deactivates microorganismsis by destroying nucleic acids and disrupting their DNA, leaving themunable to perform vital cellular functions. The administration of UV-Cradiation is becoming widely adopted by many hospitals as a moreeffective and reliable means of surface disinfection, as compared to theuse of chemical cleaning agents alone. The effectiveness of germicidalUV-C irradiation depends on factors such as the length of time amicroorganism is exposed to UV-C, the intensity and wavelength of theUV-C radiation, the presence of particles that can protect themicroorganisms from UV, and a microorganism's ability to withstand UV-Cduring its exposure. In air and surface disinfection applications, theUV effectiveness is estimated by calculating the UV dose to be deliveredto the microbial population. A method of calculating UV dose is asfollows: UV dose μWs/cm²=UV intensity μW/cm²×Exposure time (seconds).

Germicidal UV for disinfection is most typically generated by amercury-vapor lamp. Low-pressure mercury vapor has a strong emissionline at 254 nm, which is within the range of wavelengths thatdemonstrate strong disinfection effect. The optimal wavelengths fordisinfection are close to 265 nm. UV-C LEDs use semiconductors to emitlight between 255 nm-280 nm. The wavelength emission is tunable byadjusting the material of the semiconductor. The use of LEDs that emit awavelength more precisely tuned to the maximal germicidal wavelengthresults in greater microbe deactivation per amp of power, maximizationof microbial deactivation for the available, less ozone production, andless materials degradation.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary of some embodiments of theinvention in order to provide a basic understanding of the invention.This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is notintended to identify key/critical elements of the invention or todelineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to presentsome embodiments of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude tothe more detailed description that is presented later.

An aspect of the present disclosure is a mounted, typically ceilingmounted, hybrid germicidal irradiation disinfection apparatus comprisinga substantially rectangular housing having dimensions of approximatelytwo feet in width and four feet in length; a first plurality of emitterscoupled to the substantially rectangular housing, the first plurality ofemitters operable to emit UV-C radiation at a wavelength of about 265nanometers; a second plurality of emitters coupled to the substantiallyrectangular housing, the second plurality of emitters operable to emitnear-UV radiation at a wavelength of about 405 nanometers; at least onevisible light emitter coupled to the substantially rectangular housing;at least one germicidal radiation sensor coupled to the substantiallyplanar array surface; a controller being housed in the substantiallyrectangular housing, the controller being operably engaged with thefirst plurality of emitters, the second plurality of emitters, the atleast one visible light emitter, and the at least one germicidalradiation sensor.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is a method for roomdisinfection using germicidal radiation comprising: installing, in aninterior ceiling grid, a hybrid germicidal irradiation disinfectionapparatus (disinfection fixture), the disinfection fixture having afirst plurality of emitters operable to emit UV-C radiation at awavelength of about 265 nanometers and a second plurality of emittersoperable to emit near-UV radiation at a wavelength of about 405nanometers, a ranging sensor, and a controller; measuring, with theranging sensor, the distance to the closest object (surface) in theroom; calculating, with the controller, an air gap compensation variablein response to ranging sensor measurement; delivering, with the firstplurality of emitters and the second plurality of emitters, dual bandradiation to a target zone of the room; receiving, with at least onegermicidal radiation sensor, an amount of radiant energy reflected fromthe first zone of the room; measuring, with the processor, a kill dosethreshold based on germicidal radiation sensor input and air gapcompensation.

Yet another aspect of the present disclosure is a system for roomdisinfection using germicidal radiation comprising one or moredisinfection fixtures and an optional remotely mounted germicidalradiation sensor (remote sensor) operating in a communications network,the one or more disinfection fixtures comprising: a substantiallyrectangular housing having dimensions of approximately two feet in widthand four feet in length; a first plurality of emitters coupled to thesubstantially rectangular housing, the first plurality of emittersoperable to emit UV-C radiation at a wavelength of about 265 nanometers;a second plurality of emitters coupled to the substantially rectangularhousing, the second plurality of emitters operable to emit radiation ata near-UV wavelength of about 405 nanometers; at least one visible lightemitter coupled to the substantially rectangular housing; at least one,optional, germicidal radiation sensor coupled to the substantiallyplanar array surface (alternatively, the system may employ a networkedremote sensor directed to one or more target areas); a controller beinghoused in the substantially rectangular housing, the controller beingoperably engaged with the first plurality of emitters, the secondplurality of emitters, the at least one visible light emitter, and theat least one germicidal radiation sensor; and, a remote interface, theremote interface being communicably engaged with the controller of theat least one portable UV-C disinfection apparatus, the optional remotesensor; and, a database, the database being communicably engaged withthe controller and the remote interface.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide for a germicidaldisinfection apparatus comprising a housing; at least one first emittercoupled to the housing and configured to emit ultraviolet light at afirst wavelength in the range of 207 to 225 nanometers; at least onesecond emitter coupled to the housing and configured to emit ultravioletlight at a second wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers; and acontroller operably engaged with the at least one first emitter to pulsea first emission of ultraviolet light comprising the first wavelengthand operably engaged with the at least one second emitter to pulse asecond emission of ultraviolet light comprising the second wavelength,wherein the controller is configured to selectively modulate a dutycycle and phase of the at least one first emitter and the at least onesecond emitter.

In accordance with certain embodiments, the germicidal disinfectionapparatus may further comprise at least one third emitter coupled to thehousing and configured to emit visible light at a third wavelength ofgreater than 400 nanometers. The germicidal disinfection apparatus mayfurther comprise at least one sensor configured to detect the presenceof an occupant within an emission zone of the at least one first emitterand at least one second emitter, the at least one sensor being operablyengaged with the controller to communicate a sensor input. In accordancewith certain embodiments, the controller may be configured toselectively modulate the at least one first emitter and the at least onesecond emitter to pulse the first emission of ultraviolet light and thesecond emission of ultraviolet light in phase or out of phase. Incertain embodiments, the first wavelength may be 222 nm and the secondwavelength may be 265 nm. The controller may be configured to modulatethe duty cycle of the at least one first emitter according to at leastone control setting in response to the sensor input from the at leastone sensor. In accordance with certain embodiments, the controller maybe configured to modulate the duty cycle of the at least one secondemitter according to at least one control setting in response to thesensor input from the at least one sensor.

Further aspects of the present disclosure provide for a method forcontrolling microorganisms in an interior environment comprisinginstalling, to a ceiling of an interior room, a germicidal disinfectionapparatus; pulsing, in a first mode of operation, a first emission ofultraviolet light from the at least one first emitter and the at leastone second emitter; and pulsing, in a second mode of operation, a secondemission of ultraviolet light from the at least one first emitter andthe at least one second emitter; wherein the first mode of operationcomprises modulating the duty cycle and phase of the at least one firstemitter and the at least one second emitter according to a firstplurality of control settings, and wherein the second mode of operationcomprises modulating the duty cycle and phase of the at least one firstemitter and the at least one second emitter according to a secondplurality of control settings.

In accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, the methodfor controlling microorganisms in an interior environment may furthercomprise calculating a radiation dose delivered by the at least onefirst emitter and the at least one second emitter. The method mayfurther comprise terminating an emission from the at least one firstemitter or the at least one second emitter in response to the radiationdose being greater than or equal to at least one maximum radiationexposure limit for an occupant. The method may further comprisemodulating the duty cycle and/or phase of one or both of the at leastone first emitter and the at least one second emitter according to akinetic model associated with at least one microorganism. The method mayfurther comprise modulating the pulse width of an emission from the atleast one first emitter and/or an emission from the at least one secondemitter according to the kinetic model associated with the at least onemicroorganism.

Further aspects of the present disclosure provide for a germicidaldisinfection system comprising a housing; at least one first emittercoupled to the housing and configured to emit ultraviolet light at afirst wavelength in the range of 207 to 225 nanometers; at least onesecond emitter coupled to the housing and configured to emit ultravioletlight at a second wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers; and acontroller operably engaged with the at least one first emitter and theat least one second emitter, the controller comprising at least onemicroprocessor configured to perform one or more operations forcontrolling an emission of ultraviolet light from the at least one firstemitter and the at least one second emitter, wherein the one or moreoperations comprise operations for selectively modulating a duty cycleand phase of the at least one first emitter and the at least one secondemitter.

In accordance with certain embodiments, the one or more operations ofthe controller may further comprise operations for modulating the dutycycle of the at least one first emitter and the at least one secondemitter in response to a sensor input from at least one occupant sensorcommunicably engaged with the controller. The one or more operations ofthe controller may further comprise operations for modulating the dutycycle of the at least one first emitter and the at least one secondemitter in response to a sensor input from at least one radiation sensorcommunicably engaged with the controller. The one or more operations ofthe controller may further comprise operations for modulating the dutycycle and/or phase of one or both of the at least one first emitter andthe at least one second emitter according to a kinetic model associatedwith at least one microorganism.

Still further aspects of the present disclosure provide for a germicidaldisinfection system comprising at least one first emitter configured toemit ultraviolet light at a first wavelength in the range of 207 to 225nanometers; at least one second emitter configured to emit ultravioletlight at a second wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers; and acontroller operably engaged with the at least one first emitter and theat least one second emitter to pulse an emission of ultraviolet lightcomprising the first wavelength from the at least one first emitter andpulse an emission of ultraviolet light comprising the second wavelengthfrom the at least one second emitter according to one or more controlparameters, wherein the one or more control parameters compriseparameters for modulating a duty cycle of the at least one first emitterand the at least one second emitter and parameters for modulating aphase of the at least one first emitter and the at least one secondemitter.

In accordance with certain embodiments, the germicidal disinfectionsystem may further comprise at least one third emitter configured toemit visible light at a third wavelength of greater than 400 nanometers.In accordance with certain embodiments, the one or more operations ofthe controller may further comprise operations for modulating the dutycycle of one or both of the at least one first emitter and the at leastone second emitter in response to a sensor input from at least onesensor communicably engaged with the controller. In certain embodiments,the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting of aradiation sensor, a ranging sensor, a motion sensor, an imaging sensor,a camera, and an acoustic transducer.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent andimportant features of the present disclosure so that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood andso that the present contribution to the art can be more fullyappreciated. Additional features of the invention will be describedhereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conceptionand the disclosed specific methods and structures may be readilyutilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures forcarrying out the same purposes of the present disclosure. It should berealized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent structures donot depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth inthe appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentdisclosure will be more apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a hybrid germicidal irradiationdisinfection apparatus in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a system drawing of communication flow during a roomdisinfection by an embodiment of a hybrid germicidal irradiationdisinfection apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a system diagram of the integration of an embodiment of ahybrid germicidal irradiation disinfection apparatus, a remotegermicidal radiation sensor, a remote interface and hospital server;

FIG. 4 is a functional diagram of a ranging sensor according to anembodiment;

FIG. 5 is a functional diagram of an air gap compensation measurement(virtual germicidal radiation sensor location), according to anembodiment;

FIG. 6 is a plot of a target dose calculation, as calculated with andwithout compensation for air gap;

FIG. 7 is a functional diagram of an embodiment of a hybrid germicidalirradiation disinfection apparatus;

FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the setup process of anembodiment of a hybrid germicidal irradiation disinfection apparatus;

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the disinfection process of anembodiment of a hybrid germicidal irradiation disinfection apparatus;

FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram illustrating the storing of datafrom the disinfection process of an embodiment of a hybrid germicidalirradiation disinfection apparatus;

FIG. 11A is a functional block diagram of an apparatus and system forgermicidal disinfection, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 11B is a functional block diagram of an apparatus and system forgermicidal disinfection, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 12A is a sine wave plot of a UV emission and a near-UV emissionbeing pulsed in-phase and out of phase;

FIG. 12B is a plot of a target dose calculation for a single bandemission and a dual band emission, as calculated with and withoutcompensation for air gap;

FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram of a routine for selecting betweena first mode of operation and a second mode of operation of at least onelight emitting device, in accordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram of a routine for modulating aphase and duty cycle of at least one light emitting device, inaccordance with an embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a process flow diagram of a method for controllingmicroorganisms in an interior environment, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 16 is a process flow diagram of a method for controllingmicroorganisms in an interior environment, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 17 is a process flow diagram of a routine for a mode of operationfor at least one light emitting device, in accordance with anembodiment;

FIG. 18 is a process flow diagram of a routine for a mode of operationfor least one light emitting device, in accordance with an embodiment;and

FIG. 19 is a process flow diagram of a method for controllingmicroorganisms in an interior environment, in accordance with anembodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments are described herein to provide a detaileddescription of the present disclosure. Variations of these embodimentswill be apparent to those of skill in the art. It should be appreciatedthat all combinations of the concepts discussed in greater detail below(provided such concepts are not mutually inconsistent) are contemplatedas being part of the inventive subject matter disclosed herein. It alsoshould be appreciated that terminology explicitly employed herein thatalso may appear in any disclosure incorporated by reference should beaccorded a meaning most consistent with the particular conceptsdisclosed herein. Moreover, certain terminology is used in the followingdescription for convenience only and is not limiting. For example, thewords “right,” “left,” “top,” “bottom,” “upper,” “lower,” “inner” and“outer” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made.The word “a” is defined to mean “at least one.” The terminology includesthe words above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and wordsof similar import.

Following below are more detailed descriptions of various conceptsrelated to, and embodiments of, inventive methods, devices and systemsconfigured to provide for a UV light fixture configured to enablecontactless germicidal disinfection of microorganisms in the air and onsurfaces.

It should be appreciated that various concepts introduced above anddiscussed in greater detail below may be implemented in any of numerousways, as the disclosed concepts are not limited to any particular mannerof implementation. Examples of specific implementations and applicationsare provided primarily for illustrative purposes. The present disclosureshould in no way be limited to the exemplary implementation andtechniques illustrated in the drawings and described below.

Where a range of values is provided, it is understood that eachintervening value, to the tenth of the unit of the lower limit unlessthe context clearly dictates otherwise, between the upper and lowerlimit of that range and any other stated or intervening value in thatstated range is encompassed by the invention. The upper and lower limitsof these smaller ranges may independently be included in the smallerranges, and are also encompassed by the invention, subject to anyspecifically excluded limit in a stated range. Where a stated rangeincludes one or both of the endpoint limits, ranges excluding either orboth of those included endpoints are also included in the scope of theinvention.

As used herein, “exemplary” means serving as an example or illustrationand does not necessarily denote ideal or best.

As used herein, the term “includes” means includes but is not limitedto, the term “including” means including but not limited to. The term“based on” means based at least in part on.

Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide for a morecost-effective solution to retrofit overhead light fixtures with UV-Cand near-UV emitters in hospital-wide deployments. Embodiments of thepresent disclosure provide for a disinfection fixture that reducesexposure time by varying the intensity and wavelength of the UV-Cadministered. Like UVGI, near-UV (violet-blue) light, particularly 405nm light, has significant antimicrobial properties against a wide rangeof bacterial and fungal pathogens. Unlike UVGI, near-UV is safe forcontinuous use in occupied environments. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure provide for a hybrid arrangement of UVGI and near-UV emittersfor the optimum deployment of both UVGI and near-UV in a closed-loopdisinfection process and general area illumination.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a diagrammatic representation of a hybridgermicidal irradiation disinfection apparatus (disinfection fixture) 100is shown. According to an embodiment, disinfection fixture 100 isgenerally comprised of a fixture housing 102, a visible light emitter104, a 265 nanometers (nm) UV-C emitter 106, a 405 nanometers (nm)near-UV emitter 108, a 265 nm germicidal radiation sensor (UV-C Sensor)110, a 405 nm germicidal radiation sensor (Near-UV Sensor) 111, acontroller 112, a UV transmittable lens 114, a ranging sensor 116, andan occupant sensor 118. According to an embodiment, fixture housing 102contains the emitter and circuity components, wiring, and installationfittings of disinfection fixture 100. Fixture housing 102 may be twofeet by two feet or two feet by four feet in dimension. Fixture housing102 should be configured such that it may be installed in astandard-sized commercial ceiling grid and should be installing usingstandard commercial wiring. The standard sizing and wiring of fixturehousing 102 enable disinfection fixture 100 to be easily retrofittedinto hospitals and other commercial structures. Fixture housing 102 maybe constructed of rigid or flexible material, such as plastic, metal,metal alloy, and the like. Alternatively, variations in the fixturehousing 102 materials, emitters and construction dimensions may bealtered as needed for a specific application (e.g. wall-mounting,free-hanging installation, outside of a ceiling grid). Fixture housing102 is configured to house an electrical relay to at least one visiblelight emitter 104 and one or more 265 nm UV-C emitter 106 and/or one ormore 405 nm near-UV emitter 108. Visible light emitter 104 should be ofa spectrum and color temperature typically used for commercial interiorlighting, for example 2650-kelvin. The disinfection fixture 100 providesdual functionality as both a commercial light source and a germicidalradiation emitter. UV-C emitters 106 and 405 nm emitters 108 arepreferably UV-C LEDs and near-UV LEDs, respectively. In an alternativeembodiment, UV-C emitters 106 and near UV emitters 108 are electronicgas-discharge lamps, including but not limited to low-pressuremercury-vapor lamps, high-pressure mercury vapor lamps, xenon lamps,mercury-xenon lamps, pulsed-xenon lamps, and deuterium lamps. In anotherembodiment, UV-C emitters 106 and near UV emitters 108 may be CFL lampsand halogen lamps. UV-C 265 nm emitters 106 and 405 nm emitters 108 maybe distributed in a linear arrangement and direct UV-C and near-UVradiation in a targeted or distributed beam, enabling higher intensityemission with less power consumption as compared to an omnidirectionalbulb. The higher intensity generated by focusing a beam of germicidalradiation using a linear array, rather than an omnidirectionaltransmission generated by a mercury-vapor bulb or circular LED array,has the dual benefits of reducing exposure time in the dosagecalculation and conserving energy. UV-C and near-UV emitters may becalibrated to various wavelength emissions within a known range ofwavelengths that demonstrate strong disinfection effect.

As discussed above, emitters 106 and emitters 108 emit radiation atwavelengths of 265 nm and 405 nm respectively. Each wavelength displaysits own kinetics of a kill curve for target microorganisms. It isanticipated that emitters 104 and emitters 106 may pulse emissionin-phase (i.e. emit light at the same time), or out of phase (i.e. emitlight at opposite times), or operate independently, which may modify thekinetics of each wavelength's respective kill curve such that a dualwavelength emission will reduce the overall time required to achieve akill dose as compared to a single wavelength emission. Likewise, variousmodulation schema may be employed between emitters 104 and emitters 106in order to optimize the kinetics of the kill curve for a givenmicroorganism (e.g. viruses, bacteria, and spores); thereby reducing theamount of time required to achieve a kill dose for the targetmicroorganism.

According to an embodiment, UV-C sensor 110, Near-UV sensor 111, rangingsensor 116 and occupant sensor 118 are coupled to a face portion of thefixture housing 102. Optionally, ranging sensor 116 and occupant sensor118 may be combined into a single sensor or sensor suite. UV-C sensor110 is a closed loop sensor operable to measure the amount of UV-Cenergy reflected from the target surface back to the UV-C sensor 110.Near-UV sensor 111 is also a closed loop sensor operable to measure theamount of near-UV energy reflected from the target surface back to theNear-UV sensor 111. UV-C sensor 110 and Near-UV sensor 111 may be asingle sensor or an array of multiple sensors. UV-C sensor 110 andNear-UV sensor 111 may be a single dual-band sensor operable to measureradiation wavelengths of about 265 nm and about 405 nm. UV-C sensor 110and Near-UV sensor 111 are operably engaged with controller 112 tocommunicate the amount of UV-C and near-UV radiation (single or dualband) collected by the sensor(s).

Controller 112 has a set of instructions stored thereon to measure a“kill dose” according to the amount of reflected UV-C and/or near UVradiation collected by UV-C sensor 114 and kill dose parameters storedin memory. Controller 112 may calibrate various kill dose thresholdsdepending on the specific disinfection application. For example, virusesmay require a lower kill dose, while bacteria may require a higher killdose, and spores may require yet a higher kill dose.

Controller 112 may operate in communication with ranging sensor 116 tomore accurately measure a kill dose delivered from emitters 106 and/oremitters 108. The UV-C energy collected by UV-C sensor 110 might notaccurately represent the amount of UV-C energy reflected by the targetsurface due to the distance, or air gap, between the target surface andUV-C sensor 110. This is due to the fact that germicidal radiation losesintensity as a function of distance travelled; therefore, the measuredreflected energy at UV-C sensor 110 is less than the actual reflectedenergy received by the target surface as a function of the distancebetween the target surface and UV-C sensor 110. Ranging sensor 116 maybe operably engaged with controller 112 to calculate an “air gapcompensation” to virtually relocate UV-C sensor 110 to the nearestsurface. This can be accomplished mathematically by correcting for thereduction in UV-C energy as a function of distance. Ranging sensor 116may be comprised of, for example, one or more sensors capable ofdetecting the presence and location of objects within the sensor rangewithout physical contact, such as sonic ranging, scanning ranging,and/or visible or infrared-based light sensors. Ranging sensor 116 isoperably engaged to detect the distance to the nearest object in thezone of each UV-C sensor 110. Controller 112 may adjust the kill dosethreshold of reflected energy received by UV-C sensor 110 in accordancewith the distance input defined by ranging sensor 116. In the absence ofranging sensor 116, controller 112 may enable a manual input by a userto define the desired air gap adjustment.

As a safety precaution to prevent a user from exposure to UV-Cradiation, occupant sensor 118 may be operably engaged with controller112 to disengage emitter 106 when an occupant is detected in a room. Aswith ranging sensor 116, occupant sensor 118 may be comprised of, forexample, one or more sensors capable of detecting the presence andlocation of objects within the sensor range without physical contact,such as sonic ranging sensors, scanning ranging sensors, and/or visibleor infrared-based light sensors. Lens 114 covers the perimeter offixture housing 102 and protects the emitters 104, 106 and 108 fromdebris and dust. Lens 114 may be constructed from any UV-C transmittablematerial and may be configured as a Fresnel lens such that lens 114 maybe substantially planar in shape.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a system drawing of communication flow during adisinfection cycle started via a remote interface is shown. According toan embodiment, disinfection fixture 100 administers germicidal radiationto a target zone via one or more emitters 106 and emitters 108. In apreferred embodiment, UV-C emitters 106 are calibrated to emit shortwave UV-C radiation at a wavelength of 265 nm, and emitters 108 arecalibrated to emit short wave near-UV radiation at a wavelength of 405nm. Remote Interface 220 is networked to controller 112 via a wirelineor wireless communication interface, such as Bluetooth or LoRa. Remoteinterface 220 may be a tablet computer, desktop computer, smart phone,laptop computer, wireless I/O device, and the like. Remote interface 220associates a room identifier 210 with the disinfection fixture 100. Aroom identifier 210 may be a scanned barcode or RFID tag. Thisassociation ensures that all data collected during the disinfectioncycle is attributed to the target room. Controller 112 receives thesignal from remote interface 220 to begin the disinfection cycle.Occupant sensor 118 is activated to detect movement in the room. Duringthis safety check, movement detected in the room will inhibit theinitial ranging sensor scan. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, theoccupant sensor 118 is alternatively affixed remotely to one of theceiling panels in the target room.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an illustrative system view of a networkedimplementation of multiple disinfection fixtures is shown. In anembodiment, multiple networked disinfection fixtures 100 a-d arecommunicably linked to one another and one or more hospital systems viaa LoRa, WiFi, or Bluetooth communication link. Alternatively,disinfection fixtures 100 a-d may be hardwired and communicate through ahospital Ethernet network. Remote interface 220 sends a command todisinfection fixtures 100 a-d to begin a room disinfection sequence.Each one of disinfection fixtures 100 a-d is dedicated to a specificzone of the room and implements a safety protocol by signaling occupantsensor 118 to monitor each target zone for movement or occupants (i.e.infrared signatures). If no occupants are detected, the integrateddisinfection fixtures 100 a-d begin the disinfection cycle. The UV-Csensors measure the UV-C energy reflected from the target zone and/orthe near-UV sensors measure the near-UV energy reflected from the targetzone depending on the selected disinfection sequence. The rangingsensors measure the distance to the nearest object in the zone, andvirtually relocate the germicidal radiation sensors to the location ofthe nearest object surface to compensate for the air gap between thesurface of the nearest object and the surface of the germicidalradiation sensors (as discussed in FIGS. 4-6). Controller 112continuously monitors germicidal sensor data against a predeterminedkill dose threshold to determine whether a kill dose has beenadministered to the target zone. Once a target zone has received aneffective kill dose, emitters 106 and/or 108 are disengaged orredirected to a different zone. The disinfection cycle is complete onceall zones in the target room have received the designated radiation killdose. Controller 112 sends a notification to remote interface 220 uponcompletion of the disinfection cycle. Remote interface 220 correlatesdisinfection data with room ID 210. The disinfection data as well asother system data is stored in hospital server 214 and is accessible byremote interface 220.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a functional illustration of an air gapcompensation calculation by disinfection fixture 100 is shown. Accordingto an embodiment, ranging sensor(s) 116 measures the distance fromdisinfection fixture 100 surface 40 to the floor surface 46, D₁, and tothe leading surface of the closest furniture and fixtures in the room 42a, D₃ and 44 a, D₂. In this illustration, surface 42 a at distance D₃ isthe closest surface to disinfection fixture 100 and is used to definethe air gap compensation setting for germicidal radiation sensors 110and 111. The back side of the object, surface 42 b (i.e. the “dark” sideof the object relative to disinfection fixture 100) is disinfected byreceiving germicidal radiation reflected back from the floor surface 46.As discussed above, a kill dose is measured by the amount of radiationreflected from the target surface to germicidal radiation sensors 110and/or 111. The kill dose is measured using reflected radiation, ratherthan direct energy, in order to ensure that the dark side of surfaces inthe target room (i.e. surfaces not receiving direct exposure ofgermicidal radiation) are sufficiently disinfected. The amount ofreflected radiation can be accurately measured from the leading edge ofthe closest object in the room 42 a to infer the dosage received by thedark side of object 42 b.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the distance D₃ represents the air gap betweengermicidal radiation sensors 110 and 111 and the leading edge of theclosest object in the room 42 a. The intensity of the reflectedradiation is reduced between D₃ and D₁, as the intensity of radiationdiminishes with distance. Therefore, measuring a kill dose at surface 40results in an over measurement of radiation, which in turn results inoverexposure of germicidal radiation and increased time for disinfectionfixture 100 to complete a disinfection cycle. Disinfection fixture 100mitigates over-exposure and minimizes disinfection time by virtuallyrelocating germicidal radiation sensors 110 and/or 111 to surface 42 aby executing an air gap compensation algorithm. This enablesdisinfection fixture 100 to emit the minimum required amount ofgermicidal irradiation necessary for an effective kill dose per theselected disinfection cycle.

FIG. 6 further illustrates the above concepts of FIG. 5 by plotting thereflected energy received by germicidal radiation sensor 110 (on they-axis) as a function of time (on the x-axis) in order to reach a targetdose of reflected energy. Where UV-C sensors 110 have not been virtuallyrelocated to compensate for air gap, the time required to reach aneffective kill dose is shown on the graph as T₀. Where UV-C sensors 110have been virtually relocated to compensate for air gap, the timerequired to reach an effective kill dose is shown on the graph as T₁.The delta between T₀ and T₁ represents the amount of time saved duringthe disinfection cycle when compensating for air gap between thegermicidal sensor and the location of the nearest object in the zone.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a system diagram of a ceiling-mounteddisinfection fixture is shown. According to an embodiment, disinfectionfixture 100 administers germicidal radiation to a target zone via one ormore UV-C emitters 106 and one or more near-UV emitters 108. In apreferred embodiment, as mentioned above, UV-C emitters 106 arecalibrated to emit short wave UV-C radiation at a wavelength of 265 nm,and near-UV emitters 108 are calibrated to have a wavelength emission of405 nm. Remote interface 220 is communicably engaged with controller 112via a wireless communication interface, such as Bluetooth or WiFi.Remote interface 220 may be a tablet computer, smart phone, laptopcomputer, wireless I/O device, and the like. Remote interface 220associates a room identifier 210 with a target room for disinfection.Remote interface 220 may include a user workflow configured to validatethat a target room is prepped properly for disinfection and that all thesteps in the disinfection workflow have been completed. A roomidentifier 210 may be a scanned barcode or RFID tag. Remote interface220 communicates a request to begin a disinfection cycle to controller112. Processor 204 processes the request to begin a disinfection cycle.Processor 204 executes instructions for ranging sensor 116 to scan atarget Zone 1 to determine the closest object in the zone. The data fromranging sensor 116 is stored in memory 206, along with room ID 210.Processor 204 executes instructions to measure air gap compensation tocalibrate UV-C sensor 110 according to the data from ranging sensor 116.Processor 204 executes instructions to initiate UV-C emitters 104 and/ornear-UV emitters 106 to emit germicidal radiation to target Zone 1 thruN. Radiation reflected from the target Zone 1 through N is reflectedback to array housing 102 and is collected by UV-C sensor 110. UV-Csensor 110 sends dosage data to processor 204. Processor 204 executesinstructions to measure a kill dose according to UV-C reflectivity dataand air gap compensation variables. Once a threshold dosage value hasbeen received by UV-C sensor 110, processor 204 executes instructions todiscontinue radiation emission by emitters 106. In parallel the sameclosed-loop disinfection process may be performed, depending on theselected disinfection cycle, by processor 204 for the desired dose ofnear-UV germicidal irradiation using ranging sensor 116, near-UV sensor111 and emitters 108.

Processor 204 executes instructions to store dosage data from each zonein memory 206. The dosage data is time stamped and communicated tohospital server 214 using wireless communication chip set 208 viahospital network 212. Hospital server 214 stores information retrievedfrom controller 112 in hospital database 216. This information can beutilized by hospital server 214 to determine the health of the hospital,audit cleaning activities, as well as monitor the health and status of afacility wide deployment. Communication chip set 208 may be a LoRachipset, and hospital network 212 may be configured as a low power widearea network (LPWAN) to reduce burden on the hospital's Wi-Fi network.Processor 204 may communicate a confirmation to remote interface 220 toconfirm disinfection of the target room is complete.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a block diagram illustrating how to set up adisinfection fixture is shown. According to an embodiment, thedisinfection fixture(s) may be retrofitted into a ceiling grid byuninstalling an existing fluorescent light fixture(s) 502 and installingone or more disinfection fixtures 504. The installed disinfectionfixtures may be communicably coupled with the hospital server 506through Bluetooth or LoRa utilizing a wireless chip in the controllerunit or alternatively the disinfection fixtures may be hardwired to anetwork (e.g. Ethernet). The hospital server associates eachdisinfection fixture with a specific Room ID 508 and all data regardingroom disinfection such as fixture placement and germicidal irradiationdosage calculation is saved under an association with specific room ID508. This information is saved in the disinfection fixture's memory andmay be accessed and saved on the hospital server. Alternatively, thedisinfection fixtures memory may be accessed by a remote interface. Thedisinfection cycle may be engaged by a remote interface such as a tabletcomputer, laptop, or smartphone by establishing a wireless communicationlink (such as Bluetooth, WiFi, or LoRa) with the controller of thedisinfection fixture 510. The remote interface links disinfectionfixtures with the same room ID to an assigned room 512.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a block diagram illustrating the steps of thedisinfection cycle is shown. A remote interface such as a tablet,smartphone, or laptop sends a request for disinfection 602 to thedisinfection fixture(s) via a communications network. An occupant sensorverifies the target room is unoccupied and transmits a success messageto a processor associated with a disinfection fixture 604. One or moreranging sensors measures the distance to the closest surface in thezone, and the processor computes an air gap compensation parameter forthe germicidal radiation sensor 606. LED emitters emit radiation atwavelengths of 265 nm and/or 405 nm to target area 608. Emitters maypulse emission in-phase (i.e. emit light at the same time), or out ofphase (i.e. emit light at opposite times) or deliver single modegermicidal radiation depending on the selected disinfection cycle.Emitted radiation is reflected back from surfaces in the zone togermicidal sensors, which measure the reflected dual band germicidalradiation 610 and transmit the data to the processor. The processorexecutes instructions to calculate a kill dose for the target zone basedon the sensor data and air gap compensation algorithm 612. Once a zonehas received a kill dose, the controller disengages the emitters andends the zone radiation 614 in accordance with the selected disinfectionmode.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for multiple modes ofoperation, including normal mode, in which the disinfection fixture asshown and described above may operate as a standard lighting fixture toemit non-UV visible light to illuminate a room, and several disinfectionmodes depending on the desired level of disinfection, the organisminvolved, and the occupation of the target space. Two such modes mayinclude: Disinfection and Sustainment. The Disinfection Mode follows theflow outlined above by FIG. 9. Disinfection Mode is selected when thetarget room is unoccupied and standard cleaning has been performed. Bothgermicidal emitters 106 and 108 may be energized and the visible lightemitters 104 may be depowered.

Sustainment Mode may be selected after the room has been disinfected tomaintain a desired level of disinfection or when the room is occupied bya patient with a compromised immune system or active infection such asMRSA. In this mode the visible light emitters will operate via theremote interface 220. The output level (brightness and intensity) of thevisible light emitters 104 may be varied by pulse-width modulation oractive current control in response to commands from the remote interface220. The UV-C Emitters 106 will remain off as the room is occupied. Thenear-UV emitters 108 may remain continuously on thereby providingcontinuous air and surface disinfection. The output level of the near-UVemitters 108 may be varied by pulse-width modulation or active currentcontrol in response to commands from the remote interface 220.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a block diagram illustrating a method ofstoring dosage data associated with a room disinfection is shown.According to an embodiment, the processor communicates all dosage datarelated to a room disinfection to be stored in memory of the controller702. The room dosage data is time-stamped 704 and associated with a roomID in a database. The time-stamped dosage information may becommunicated to a hospital server 706 via a hospital network. Thehospital server associates the time-stamped dosage information with theroom ID of the disinfection fixtures 708. The time-stamped dosage datamay also be accessed by or sent as a notification to a remote interface710. This information can be utilized by quality control to determinethe health of the hospital, as well as monitor the health and status ofa facility wide deployment.

Referring now to FIG. 11A, a functional block diagram of a germicidaldisinfection apparatus and system 1100A is shown. In accordance with anembodiment, a germicidal disinfection apparatus and system 1100A maycomprise a housing 1102, a controller 1104, at least one UV emitter1106, at least one near-UV emitter 1108, and at least one visibleemitter 1110. Housing 1102 may be configured to be retrofit into aceiling grid or coupled to a ceiling junction box in an interior room ofa building. UV emitter 1106, near-UV emitter 1108, and visible emitter1110 may each comprise one or more types of light emitting devices, suchas LEDs, electronic gas-discharge lamps, CFL lamps, and halogen lampsand the like. UV emitters 1106 may comprise a plurality of LEDsconfigured as an array. The plurality of LEDs may comprise one or moreLEDs configured to produce a spectral output within a UV-A region(315-400 nanometers (nm)), a UV-B region (280-315 nm), and/or a UV-Cregion (100-280 nm). In certain embodiments, UV emitters 1106 comprisesone or more LEDs configured to produce a spectral output within a UV-Cregion, and more particularly in a range of 250-270 nm. Near-UV emitters1108 may comprise a plurality of LEDs configured as an array. Near-UVemitters 1108 may be configured to produce a visible light output withina near-UV region (e.g. 400-410 nm). In certain embodiments, near-UVemitters 1108 may be configured to produce a visible light output havinga spectral wavelength of 405 nm. Visible emitter 1110 may comprise oneor more lighting device configured to produce a visible light outputhaving a spectral range between 400-700 nm. Visible emitter 1110 maycomprise a plurality of LEDs configured as an array.

In accordance with certain embodiments, controller 1104 may be operablyengaged with UV emitters 1106, near-UV emitters 1108 and visibleemitters 1110 via an electrical relay. Controller 1104 may comprise aprocessor and a memory device having instructions stored thereon tocause the processor to execute one or more control functions ofcontroller 1104 to modulate a duty cycle of UV emitters 1106, near-UVemitters 1108 and/or visible emitters 1110; modulate a pulse width of UVemitters 1106, near-UV emitters 1108 and/or visible emitters 1110; andcontrol/vary the phase of emission for UV emitters 1106 andnear-UV-emitters 1108. For example, FIG. 12A shows a pulse wave 1201 ofUV emitters 1106 and a pulse wave 1203 of near-UV emitters 1108 beingmodulated by controller 1104 to pulse a dual-band emission of UVradiation and near-UV radiation in-phase, in a first control setting,and out of phase, in a second control setting.

In accordance with certain embodiments, controller 1104 is operable tocontrol emission of UV emitters 1106, near-UV emitters 1108 and visibleemitters 1110 according to a first mode of operation and a second modeof operation. In a first mode of operation, controller 1104 isconfigured to modulate an emission of UV radiation and/or near-UVradiation from UV emitters 1106 and near-UV emitters 1108. In certainembodiments, the first mode of operation may be configured to pulse anemission from UV emitters 1106 and near-UV emitters 1108 and disengageemission from visible emitters 1110. In other embodiments, the firstmode of operation may be configured to pulse an emission from each of UVemitters 1106, near-UV emitters 1108 and visible emitters 1110. Incertain embodiments, controller 1104 is configured in the first mode ofoperation to modulate an emission of UV radiation and near-UV radiationfrom UV emitters 1106 and near-UV emitters 1108 to produce a dual bandemission of radiation, either in-phase or out of phase. In certainembodiments, the first mode of operation may include pulsing theemission of UV radiation and near-UV radiation from UV emitters 1106 andnear-UV emitters 1108 simultaneously (i.e. in phase) or in rapid orclose succession (i.e. out of phase). In further configurations, thefirst mode of operation may include pulsing an emission from UV emitters1106 and disengaging an emission from near-UV emitters 1108 inaccordance with a first control setting; and pulsing an emission fromnear-UV emitters 1108 and disengaging an emission from UV emitters 1106during a second control setting. In the second mode of operation,controller 1104 is configured to control and engage an emission ofnear-UV radiation from near-UV emitters 1108 and visible light fromvisible emitters 1110 and disengage a UV emission from UV emitters 1106.

In accordance with certain embodiments, controller 1104 may becommunicably engaged with one or more radiation sensor 1112. Radiationsensor(s) 1112 may be coupled to, or otherwise contained within, housing1102 and/or may be located independent from housing 1102 andcommunicably engaged with controller 1104 via a wireline or a wirelessinterface. Certain embodiments may comprise multiple radiation sensors1112 being integral to housing 1102 and/or separate from housing 1102.Radiation sensors 1112 may comprise one or more closed-loop UV sensors,one or more closed-loop near-UV sensors, and/or one or more dual-bandclosed loop sensor being operable to measure both UV radiation andnear-UV radiation. In an embodiment, radiation sensors 1112 may beconfigured and arranged such that radiation sensors 1112 are operable tomeasure an amount of UV radiation and near-UV radiation emitted from UVemitters 1106 and near-UV-emitters 1108 being reflected back toradiation sensors 1112 from a target surface of an interior room.Radiation sensors 1112 may provide a sensor input to controller 1104 inresponse to receiving the reflected radiation from the target surface ofthe interior room.

Controller 1104 may be configured to calculate an aggregate amount ofradiation received by the target surface in response to the sensor inputand determine whether a radiation threshold or target dose of radiation(i.e. a kill dose) has been delivered by UV emitters 1106 and/or near-UVemitters 1108 to the target surface. The radiation threshold or targetdose of radiation may be calculated from a kinetic model ordose-response curve corresponding to a group of microorganisms (e.g.,bacteria) or a specific microorganism (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus).Controller 1104 may have a plurality of target dose data stored inmemory and may be configured to calculate a specific radiation thresholdin response to a user configuration or other control input. Each kineticmodel may include a dose-response curve for single band radiation (e.g.only UV radiation or only near-UV radiation) and dual band radiation(e.g. both UV radiation and near-UV radiation being emitted either inphase or out of phase, or otherwise in succession over a given timeperiod).

In certain embodiments, controller 1104 may be communicably engaged witha ranging sensor 1114 being configured to measure a distance between theUV emitters 1106 and near-UV emitters 1108. Controller 1104 may beconfigured to process inputs from ranging sensor 1114 and calculate anamount of reflected energy lost as a function of distance to update thekinetic model and calculate the kill dose. For example, FIG. 12B showsan exemplary kinetic model comprising a dose-response curve 1206, amodified dose-response curve 1208 in response to a ranging sensor input,a single band target dose 1202, and a dual band target dose 1204.

In accordance with certain embodiments, controller 1104 may becommunicably engaged with an occupant sensor 1116 configured to detectthe presence of a person in an interior room in which system 1100A isinstalled and/or detect the proximity of a person to an emission zone ofUV emitters 1106. Occupant sensor 1116 may include one or more sensortypes, including but not limited to infrared sensors (IR), ultrasonicsensors, tomographic motion detection sensors, microwave sensors,camera-based sensors, environmental sensors (e.g. temperature, humidityand CO2 sensors), and the like. Controller 1104 may be configured toterminate an emission of UV emitters 1106 in response to an input fromoccupant sensor 1116 indicative of a person being in an interior roomand/or in proximity to an emission zone of UV emitters 1106. In certainembodiments, controller 1104 may be communicably engaged with at leastone image sensor 1118; for example, a digital camera. Image sensor 1118may function as ranging sensor 1114 and/or occupant sensor 1116. Imagesensor 1118 may provide image data to controller 1104 indicative of oneor more situational or environmental conditions of an interior location.For example, controller 1104 may be configured to process image data todetermine an occupant load of an interior space. Image sensor 1118 maybe configured to capture body temperature data of occupants within aninterior space. Controller 1104 may be configured to process bodytemperature data to determine a likelihood of one or more functionalload for in the interior space (i.e. the likelihood and scope ofmicroorganisms in the interior space) and estimate a target dose of UVradiation and/or near-UV radiation for the target space. In certainembodiments, controller 1104 is communicably engaged with at least oneacoustic transducer 1120. Acoustic transducer 1120 may be configured tocapture one or more sound inputs and communicate audio signal data tocontroller 1104. Controller 1104 may be configured to process the audiosignal data to determine one or more situational or environmentalconditions of the interior space.

In accordance with certain embodiments, controller 1104 may becommunicably engaged with a mobile electronic device 1122 and/or aserver/client device 1124 via a wireless or wireline communicationsinterface. Mobile electronic device 1122 and/or server/client device1124 may be configured to provide a user interface for configuring oneor more control settings for controller 1104. Controller 1104 may beconfigured to communicate device data, sensor data, and usage data formobile electronic device 1122 and/or server/client device 1124. Mobileelectronic device 1122 and/or server/client device 1124 may beconfigured to communicate external data to controller 1104 to configureone or more control settings and/or update or provide one or morekinetic model.

Referring now to FIG. 11B with reference to FIG. 11A, a functional blockdiagram of a germicidal disinfection apparatus and system 1100B isshown. In accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure,apparatus and system 1100B may comprise the same elements as apparatusand system 1100A. According to certain aspects of the presentdisclosure, apparatus and system 1100B may comprise a plurality ofemitters 1126 being configured to emit a first wavelength of light whenoperably engaged, a plurality of emitters 1128 being configured to emita second wavelength of light when operably engaged, and one or moreadditional plurality of emitters 1130 being configured to emit an N^(th)wavelength of light when operably engaged. In certain embodiments,emitters 1126 may be configured as UV emitters 1106 (FIG. 11A); emitters1128 may be configured as Near-UV emitters 1108 (FIG. 11A); and emitters1130 may be configured as visible light emitters 1110 (FIG. 11A). Inaccordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, emitters 1126may comprise one or more LED emitters configured to emit ultravioletlight at a wavelength in the range of 200 nm to 225 nm, i.e. Far-UVrange. In certain embodiments, emitters 1126 may comprise one or moreLED emitters configured to emit ultraviolet light at a wavelength in therange of 207 nm to 222 nm. In certain embodiments, emitters 1126 maycomprise one or more LED emitters configured to emit ultraviolet lightat a wavelength of 222 nm. In accordance with certain aspects of thepresent disclosure, emitters 1128 may comprise one or more LED emittersconfigured to emit ultraviolet light at a wavelength in the range of 200nm to 280 nm, i.e. UV-C range. In certain embodiments, emitters 1126 maycomprise one or more LED emitters configured to emit ultraviolet lightat a wavelength in the range of 250 nm to 280 nm. In certainembodiments, emitters 1126 may comprise one or more LED emittersconfigured to emit ultraviolet light at a wavelength of 265 nm. Inaccordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, emitters 1130may comprise one or more LED emitters configured to emit light at awavelength greater than or equal to 400 nm, i.e. visible light. Incertain embodiments, emitters 1126 may comprise one or more LED emittersconfigured to emit ultraviolet light at a wavelength in the range of 400nm to 405 nm. i.e. near UV range. In certain embodiments, emitters 1126may comprise one or more LED emitters configured to emit ultravioletlight at a wavelength of 405 nm.

In accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, and stillin reference to FIG. 11B, controller 1104 may be operably engaged withemitters 1126 to pulse an emission of Far-UV light according to one ormore control settings. Controller 1104 may be further operably engagedwith emitters 1128 to pulse an emission of UV-C light according to oneor more control settings. Controller 1104 may be further operablyengaged with emitters 1130 to pulse an emission of visible lightaccording to one or more control settings. In accordance with variousembodiments, controller 1104 may be configured to independently controlthe operation of each of emitters 1126, 1128 and 1130 according to oneor more modes of operation. In certain modes of operation, controller1104 may be configured to pulse an emission from emitters 1126, 1128 and1130 substantially simultaneously. In other modes of operation,controller 1104 may be configured to pulse an emission from emitters1126, 1128 and 1130 at separate/independent intervals. In accordancewith certain embodiments, controller 1104 may be configured to modulatethe duty cycle and phase (i.e. pulse width) of each of emitters 1126,1128 and 1130 according to the one or more modes of operation. Incertain embodiments, controller 1104 may be configured to select,configure and/or modify one or more modes of operations for emitters1126, 1128 and 1130 according to one or more control settings and/orparameters being stored in memory. Controller 1104 may be furtherconfigured to select, configure and/or modify one or more modes ofoperations for emitters 1126, 1128 and 1130 according to one or moresensor inputs, user-generated inputs and/or external data inputs.

Referring now to FIG. 13 (with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B), afunctional block diagram of a routine 1300 for selecting between a firstmode of operation and a second mode of operation of controller 1104 isshown. In accordance with an embodiment, routine 1300 is initiated byengaging one or more UV emitters, near-UV emitters and visible lightemitters 1302 (e.g., UV emitters 1106, near-UV emitters 1108 and visibleemitters 1110). Step 1302 may include, for example, turning on a powerswitch for the emitters, engaging a control, or selecting a functionsetting from a user interface. Routine 1300 may continue by selecting amode of operation 1304 for the controller. Certain embodiments maycomprise a first mode of operation (Mode 1) and a second mode ofoperation (Mode 2), as described in the detailed description of FIGS.11A and 11B, above. In accordance with certain embodiments, the firstmode of operation is the default mode of operation. Routine 1300 maycomprise a decision step 1306 to determine the disinfection status of aroom (i.e. CLEAN or NOT CLEAN). The disinfection status of the room maybe determined by evaluating one or more variables; for example, timeelapsed since last disinfection cycle and changes in occupancy of theroom since last disinfection cycle. If YES (i.e., the room is clean),then the controller selects the second mode of operation and engages theemitters in accordance with one or more control settings for Mode 2. IfNO (i.e., the room is not clean), routine 1300 continues by executing anext decision step to determine if an occupant is present in a roomand/or is within a zone of emission of UV emitters. If YES, thecontroller selects the second mode of operation and engages the emittersin accordance with one or more control settings for Mode 2. If NO, thecontroller selects the first mode of operation and engages the emittersin accordance with one or more control settings for Mode 1. Routine 1300continues by executing a next decision step to determine if a kill doseof radiation has been received by the target surfaces. If NO, thecontroller continues to engage the emitters in accordance with one ormore control settings for Mode 1. If YES, the controller executes thesecond mode of operation and engages the emitters in accordance with oneor more control settings for Mode 2. Optionally, routine 1300 maycontinue by periodically repeating the decision logic to determine amode of operation between Mode 1 and Mode 2. Routine 1300 may repeatitself at varying time intervals; for example, at a first time intervalin response to a YES decision in step 1306 and at a second time intervalin response to a YES decision in step 1308. Routine 1300 may also becontinuously executed in response to the occurrence of one or moreconditions; for example, a change in the occupancy status of a room from“occupied” to “unoccupied.”

Referring now to FIG. 14 (with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B), afunctional block diagram of a routine 1400 for modulating a phase andduty cycle of at least one emitter within systems 1100A-B is shown. Inaccordance with an embodiment, routine 1400 commences by selecting afunction 1402 of systems 1100A-B; for example, selecting an operationalmode or configuring a target dosing variable corresponding to a specificgroup or type of microorganism. Optionally, step 1402 may concurrentlycomprise configuring a kinetic model in response to, or in conjunctionwith, selecting the function of systems 1100A-B. Routine 1400 maycontinue by engaging emitters in a first mode of operation or a secondmode of operation 1406; for example, as described in routine 1300 ofFIG. 13. Routine 1400 may continue in step 1408 by modulating the dutycycle of UV emitters 1106, near-UV emitters 1108 and visible emitters1110; and may continue with step 1410 by modulating a phase of UVemitters 1106 and/or near-UV emitters 1108, such that UV emitters 1106and near-UV emitters 1108 pulse emission in-phase according to a firstmodulation control and out of phase according to a second modulationcontrol. Routine 1400 continues by processing one or more sensor inputs1412 (e.g., a closed loop UV sensor input and an occupancy sensorinput). Routine 1400 continues by executing decision steps 1414 and1416. In decision step 1414, the controller processes the sensorinput(s) to determine if an occupant is present in the room and/or inproximity to an emission area of UV emitters 1106. If NO, routine 1400continues by engaging emitters in accordance with step 1406. If YES, thecontroller continues by engaging the emitters in accordance with one ormore control settings for Mode 2 1418. In decision step 1416, thecontroller processes the sensor input(s) to determine if a kill dose hasbeen delivered to the target surface(s) in the interior room. If NO,routine 1400 continues to engage emitters in accordance with step 1406.If YES, the controller engages the emitters in accordance with one ormore control settings for Mode 2 1418.

Referring now to FIG. 15 (with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B), aprocess flow diagram of a method 1500 for controlling microorganisms inan interior environment is shown. In accordance with an embodiment,method 1500 comprises installing a germicidal disinfection apparatushaving a UV emitter, a near-UV emitter, and a visible light emitter to aceiling of an interior room 1502. In accordance with an embodiment, agermicidal disinfection apparatus may comprise germicidal disinfectionapparatus 1100A. The UV emitter, near-UV emitter, and visible lightemitter may comprise UV emitters 1106, near-UV emitters 1108 and visibleemitters 1110. Method 1500 may continue by selecting between a firstmode of operation and a second mode of operation 1504. In accordancewith certain embodiments, step 1504 may comprise one or more steps ofroutine 1300 (as shown in FIG. 13). Depending on the outcome of step1504, method 1500 may continue by pulsing an emission from the UVemitter, the near-UV emitter and, optionally, the visible light emitterin a first mode of operation 1508; or alternatively, method 1500 maycontinue by pulsing an emission from only the near-UV emitter and thevisible light emitter in a second mode of operation 1510. Method 1500may continue by receiving and processing at least one sensor input 1512.In response to receiving and processing at least one sensor input 1512,method 1500 may proceed to step 1504.

Referring now to FIG. 16, a process flow diagram of a method 1600 forcontrolling microorganisms in an interior environment is shown. Inaccordance with an embodiment, method 1600 may be a continuation fromany one or more of the steps of method 1500. Method 1600 may commencewith any combination of one or more of steps 1610-1618, which may beexecuted in a sequential order or non-sequential order and/or may beexecuted successively or concurrently. In accordance with an embodiment,method 1600 may execute step 1610 to modulate the duty cycles of the UVemitter(s) and the near-UV emitter(s) in response to a ranging sensorinput. Method 1600 may execute step 1612 to calculate a radiation dosedelivered by the UV emitter(s) and the near-UV emitter(s). Method 1600may execute step 1614 to terminate emission of the UV emitter(s) and/orthe near-UV emitter(s) in response to radiation dose being greater thanor equal to threshold dosage value. Method 1600 may execute step 1616 tomodulate the duty cycles of the UV emitter(s) and/or the near-UVemitter(s) according to a kinetic model. Method 1600 may execute step1618 to modulate a pulse width of the UV emitter(s) and the near-UVemitter(s) according to a kinetic model. In response to executing one ormore of steps 1610-1618, method 1600 may continue by engaging and/ordisengaging the UV emitter(s), the near-UV emitter(s) and the visiblelight emitters in a first mode of operation or a second mode ofoperation 1602. In a first mode of operation, method 1600 may continueby pulsing an emission from the UV emitter(s), the near-UV emitter(s)and, optionally, the visible light emitter(s) 1604. In a second mode ofoperation, method 1600 may continue by pulsing an emission from only thenear-UV emitter and the visible light emitter in a second mode ofoperation 1606 and disengaging an emission from the UV emitter(s).

Referring now to FIG. 17, with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B, a processflow diagram of a routine 1700 for a mode of operation for a germicidaldisinfection device and system is shown. In accordance with certainaspects of the present disclosure, routine 1700 may be embodied within aset of instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable mediumof controller 1104 (FIGS. 11A and 11B) that, when executed, cause atleast one processor of controller 1104 to perform one or more actionsassociated with a mode of operation for controlling an emission fromemitters 1126, 1128 and 1130 (FIGS. 11A and 11B) according to one ormore control settings. In accordance with certain embodiments, routine1700 is initiated upon executing one or more steps to initiate anoperational mode 1702 of the controller. In accordance with certainembodiments, Step 1702 may comprise one or more steps for processing oneor more of system data and/or system configurations 1704 being stored ina memory device of the controller. Upon initiating a mode of operation1702, routine 1700 may proceed by executing one or more operations tooperably engage at least one first emitter to pulse radiation comprisinga first wavelength (Step 1706) and operably engage at least one secondemitter to pulse radiation comprising a second wavelength (Step 1708).In accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, the firstwavelength may be in the range of about 200 nm-225 nm (i.e. Far-UVrange) and the second wavelength may be in the range of about 200 nm-280nm (i.e. UV-C range). In an exemplary embodiment, the first wavelengthis at or about 222 nm and the second wavelength is at or about 265 nm.In accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, routine1700 may further comprise one or more operations to operably engage oneor more subsequent emitter configured to pulse radiation at one or moredistinct wavelength (i.e. N^(th) wavelengths) from that of the firstwavelength and the second wavelength (Step 1710). In certainembodiments, an N^(th) wavelength from one or more subsequent emittermay be greater than or equal to 400 nm.

Still referring to FIG. 17, routine 1700 may comprise one or more stepsfor controlling one or more operations of the at least one first emitterand the at least one second emitter. In accordance with certain aspectsof the present disclosure, routine 1700 may comprise one or moreoperations for modulating a duty cycle of the at least one first emitter(Step 1712 a) and one or more operations for modulating an outputintensity of the at least one first emitter (Step 1712 b). Routine 1700may further comprise one or more operations for modulating a duty cycleof the at least one second emitter (Step 1714 a) and one or moreoperations for modulating an output intensity of the at least one secondemitter (Step 1714 b). Routine 1700 may comprise one or more operationsfor modulating the duty cycles of the at least one first emitter and theat least one second emitter to selectively pulse an emission ofradiation from the at least one first emitter and the at least onesecond emitter in phase and out of phase depending on the controlsettings for the mode of operation. Modulating the duty cycles of the atleast one first emitter and the at least one second emitter may furthercomprise disengaging the emission from the at least one first emitterand/or the at least one second emitter at designated intervals such thatonly one wavelength of radiation is being emitted at any given point intime during the mode of operation. In accordance with certain aspects ofthe present disclosure, routine 1700 may further comprise one or moreoperations for processing one or more sets of system data (Step 1716) tofurther configure one or more control settings for the mode ofoperation. In certain embodiments, the one or more sets of system datamay comprise one or more of sensor data, user-generated data, deviceusage/operational data and/or one or more external data sets. In certainembodiments, an output of Step 1716 may comprise one or more operationsfor modifying or configuring one or more control settings for the atleast one first emitter and the at least one second emitter (Step 1718).Another output of Step 1716 may comprise one or more operations forterminating the emission from the at least one first emitter and/or theat least one second emitter and/or updating or modifying the mode ofoperation for the controller (Step 1720).

Referring now to FIG. 18, with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B, a processflow diagram of a routine 1800 for a mode of operation for a germicidaldisinfection device and system is shown. In accordance with certainaspects of the present disclosure, routine 1800 may be sequential toroutine 1700 and/or may comprise a sub-routine of routine 1700 (or viceversa). In accordance with certain embodiments, routine 1800 may beinitiated upon executing one or more operations for engaging one or moreemitters according to at least one operational mode. In an embodiment,the one or more emitters comprise one or more of emitters 1126, 1128 and1130, as shown in FIG. 11B. Routine 1800 may continue by executing oneor more operations for processing one or more data inputs from one ormore data sources (Step 1804). In accordance with certain aspects of thepresent disclosure, the one or more data inputs may comprise one or moreoccupant and/or environmental sensor inputs 1806, one or more radiationsensor inputs 1808, and/or one or more external data sources oruser-generated inputs 1810. In accordance with certain embodiments, Step1804 may comprise one or more decision step(s) to determine whether tomodify one or more operational controls or settings of the at least oneoperational mode based on the one or more data inputs (Step 1814). Forexample, a user of a germicidal disinfection device and system mayconfigure one or more operational controls or settings via a userinterface. If the outcome of Step 1814 is YES, then the routine 1800 mayexecute one or more operations to configure or modify one or moreoperational controls or settings for the at least one mode of operation(Step 1816). If the outcome of Step 1814 is NO, then routine 1800 mayproceed to Step 1818. In accordance with certain embodiments, Step 1804may comprise one or more decision step(s) to determine whether one ormore safety threshold has been met/exceeded according to the operationalmode (Step 1818). For example, an operational mode of the germicidaldisinfection device and system may comprise one or more control settingsfor modulating a duty cycle and/or terminating an emission of one ormore emitters according to a maximum dose threshold parameter (e.g.μWs/cm²) for the emission of one or more radiation wavelengths accordingto one or more conditions. For example, an operational mode of thegermicidal disinfection device and system may be configured to engage afirst group of emitters to pulse an emission of radiation at awavelength of 222 nm and a second group of emitters to pulse an emissionof radiation at a wavelength of 265 nm for a specified time period ordose. One or more safety control parameters may be configured to modifythe duty cycle of one or more emitters and/or terminate an emissionaccording to one or more safety conditions; for example, if an outputfrom Step 1804 is indicative of one or more occupants being presentwithin a zone of emission of the germicidal disinfection device andsystem. An exemplary safety control parameter may include, for example,a maximum allowable dose of radiation per wavelength, (e.g. μWs/cm²threshold for 222 nm and μWs/cm² threshold for 265 nm). In accordancewith certain aspects of the present disclosure, if the output of Step1818 is YES, routine 1800 may proceed by executing one or moreoperations to modulate or terminate an emission for one or moreradiation wavelengths (Step 1822). For example, Step 1822 may compriseone or more operations for terminating an emission of radiation at the265 nm wavelength and modulating a duty cycle of one or more emitters toreduce an intensity of emission at the 222 nm wavelength. If the outputof Step 1818 is NO, routine 1800 may proceed by executing one or moredata processing steps to determine whether an emission of radiation fromthe germicidal disinfection device and system meets or exceeds athreshold dose (e.g. μWs/cm²) associated with at least one kinetic model(Step 1820). In accordance with various aspects of the presentdisclosure, the at least one kinetic model comprise an effectivegermicidal dose of radiation for at least one microorganism. In certainembodiments, a threshold dose may comprise a threshold for a single band(i.e. single wavelength) emission of radiation (e.g. μWs/cm² thresholdfor 222 nm) and/or a threshold for a dual/multi-band (i.e. more than onewavelength) emission of radiation (e.g. μWs/cm² threshold for 222 nm and265 nm, combined). In accordance with certain aspects of the presentdisclosure, if the outcome of Step 1820 is NO, then routine 1800 mayexecute one or more operations to continue to engage the one or moreemitters according to the operational mode. If the outcome of Step 1820is YES, then routine 1800 may execute one or more operations of Step1822, as discussed above.

Referring now to FIG. 19, a process flow diagram of a method 1900 forcontrolling microorganisms in an interior environment is shown. Inaccordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, method 1900may comprise one or more steps of routine 1700 and/or routine 1800.Method 1900 may be initiated by engaging one or more emitters of agermicidal disinfection device and system according to at least oneoperational mode to pulse an emission of radiation comprising one ormore wavelengths of ultraviolet light (Step 1902). In accordance withcertain embodiments, a germicidal disinfection device and system maycomprise germicidal disinfection apparatus and system 1100A or 1100B, asshown in FIGS. 11A and 11B. In an embodiment, the one or more emitterscomprise one or more of emitters 1126, 1128 and 1130, as shown in FIG.11B. According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the one ormore wavelengths of ultraviolet light may comprise a first wavelengthwithin the Far-UV spectrum (i.e. 200 nm-225 nm) and a second wavelengthwithin the UV-C spectrum (i.e. 200 nm-280 nm). In certain exemplaryembodiments, the one or more wavelengths of ultraviolet light maycomprise a first wavelength of 222 nm and a second wavelength of 265 nm.Method 1900 may proceed by executing one or more steps to modulate aphase or duty cycle of the one or more emitters (Step 1904). Inaccordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, Step 1904 maycomprise one or more steps for modulating the duty cycle of at least onefirst emitter and at least one second emitter to emit a single, dualand/or multi-band emission of radiation. Step 1904 may comprise one ormore steps for modulating the duty cycle and phase of the at least onefirst emitter and the at least one second emitter such that the at leastone first emitter and the at least one second emitter may pulse anemission of radiation either substantially simultaneously orsubstantially independently. Step 1904 may comprise one or more stepsfor modulating the phase of the at least one first emitter and the atleast one second emitter such that the at least one first emitter andthe at least one second emitter may pulse an emission of radiation inphase or out of phase. Method 1900 may continue by executing one or moresteps for processing one or more sensor data inputs and/or other systemdata (Step 1906). In accordance with certain embodiments, the one ormore sensor data inputs may comprise an input from at least oneoccupancy sensor and/or at least one radiation sensor. Method 1900 maycontinue by executing one or more steps to evaluate one or more emissionthreshold parameters (Step 1908) in response to processing the one ormore sensor data inputs and/or other system data (Step 1906). Inaccordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure, the one ormore emission threshold parameters may comprise one or more safetyparameters and/or kinetic model parameters. Method 1900 may conclude byexecuting one or more steps to modify an operational mode of thecontroller and/or terminate an emission of radiation for the germicidaldisinfection apparatus (Step 1910). In certain exemplary embodiments,Step 1910 may comprise one or more steps for pulsing an emission of 222nm radiation from a first plurality of emitters and an emission of 265nm radiation from a second plurality of emitters in response to anoutput from Step 1908 being indicative of the absence of occupantswithin an emission zone of the germicidal disinfection apparatus. Step1910 may further comprise one or more steps for pulsing an emission of222 nm radiation from the first plurality of emitters and terminating anemission of 265 nm radiation from the second plurality of emitters inresponse to an output from Step 1908 being indicative of the presence ofoccupants within an emission zone of the germicidal disinfectionapparatus. Step 1910 may further comprise one or more steps formodulating a duty cycle of a first plurality of emitters and/or a secondplurality of emitters to reduce an intensity of an emission of 222 nmradiation and/or 265 nm radiation in response to an output from Step1908.

It will be evident to persons skilled in the art that theabove-described embodiments of the invention can be implemented in anyof numerous ways. For example, some embodiments may be implemented usinghardware, software or a combination thereof. When any aspect of anembodiment is implemented at least in part in software, the softwarecode can be executed on any suitable processor or collection ofprocessors, whether provided in a single computer or distributed amongmultiple computers.

Additionally, various aspects of the invention may be embodied at leastin part as a computer readable storage medium (or multiple computerreadable storage media) (e.g., a computer memory, compact disks, opticaldisks, magnetic tapes, flash memories, circuit configurations in FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays or other semiconductor devices, or othertangible computer storage medium or non-transitory medium) encoded withone or more programs that, when executed on one or more computers orother processors, perform methods that implement the various embodimentsof the technology discussed above. The computer readable medium or mediacan be transportable, such that the program or programs stored thereoncan be loaded onto one or more different computers or other processorsto implement various aspects of the present technology as discussedabove.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described with a certaindegree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure isprovided by way of example and that various changes to details ofconstruction or arrangement of parts and even steps may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention. The terms andexpressions used herein have been employed as terms of descriptionrather than terms of limitation, and their use is not intended asexcluding equivalents of the features or steps described thereby.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims aswell as that of the foregoing description. Although this invention hasbeen described in its exemplary forms with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of has beenmade only by way of example and numerous changes in the details ofconstruction and combination and arrangement of parts may be employedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A germicidal disinfection apparatus comprising: ahousing; at least one first emitter coupled to the housing andconfigured to emit ultraviolet light at a first wavelength in the rangeof 207 to 225 nanometers; at least one second emitter coupled to thehousing and configured to emit ultraviolet light at a second wavelengthbetween 200 and 280 nanometers; and a controller operably engaged withthe at least one first emitter to pulse a first emission of ultravioletlight comprising the first wavelength and operably engaged with the atleast one second emitter to pulse a second emission of ultraviolet lightcomprising the second wavelength, wherein the controller is configuredto selectively modulate a duty cycle and phase of the at least one firstemitter and the at least one second emitter.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1further comprising at least one third emitter coupled to the housing andconfigured to emit visible light at a third wavelength of greater than400 nanometers.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at leastone sensor configured to detect the presence of an occupant within anemission zone of the at least one first emitter and at least one secondemitter, the at least one sensor being operably engaged with thecontroller to communicate a sensor input.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the controller is configured to selectively modulate the atleast one first emitter and the at least one second emitter to pulse thefirst emission of ultraviolet light and the second emission ofultraviolet light in phase or out of phase.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the first wavelength is 222 nm and the second wavelength is 265nm.
 6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the controller is configured tomodulate the duty cycle of the at least one first emitter according toat least one control setting in response to the sensor input from the atleast one sensor.
 7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the controller isconfigured to modulate the duty cycle of the at least one second emitteraccording to at least one control setting in response to the sensorinput from the at least one sensor.
 8. A method for controllingmicroorganisms in an interior environment comprising: installing, to aceiling of an interior room, the germicidal disinfection apparatus ofclaim 1; pulsing, in a first mode of operation, a first emission ofultraviolet light from the at least one first emitter and the at leastone second emitter; and pulsing, in a second mode of operation, a secondemission of ultraviolet light from the at least one first emitter andthe at least one second emitter; wherein the first mode of operationcomprises modulating the duty cycle and phase of the at least one firstemitter and the at least one second emitter according to a firstplurality of control settings, and wherein the second mode of operationcomprises modulating the duty cycle and phase of the at least one firstemitter and the at least one second emitter according to a secondplurality of control settings.
 9. The method of claim 8 furthercomprising calculating a radiation dose delivered by the at least onefirst emitter and the at least one second emitter.
 10. The method ofclaim 9 further comprising terminating an emission from the at least onefirst emitter or the at least one second emitter in response to theradiation dose being greater than or equal to at least one maximumradiation exposure limit for an occupant.
 11. The method of claim 8further comprising modulating the duty cycle and/or phase of one or bothof the at least one first emitter and the at least one second emitteraccording to a kinetic model associated with at least one microorganism.12. The method of claim 11 further comprising modulating the pulse widthof an emission from the at least one first emitter and/or an emissionfrom the at least one second emitter according to the kinetic modelassociated with the at least one microorganism.
 13. A germicidaldisinfection system comprising: a housing; at least one first emittercoupled to the housing and configured to emit ultraviolet light at afirst wavelength in the range of 207 to 225 nanometers; at least onesecond emitter coupled to the housing and configured to emit ultravioletlight at a second wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers; and acontroller operably engaged with the at least one first emitter and theat least one second emitter, the controller comprising at least onemicroprocessor configured to perform one or more operations forcontrolling an emission of ultraviolet light from the at least one firstemitter and the at least one second emitter, wherein the one or moreoperations comprise operations for selectively modulating a duty cycleand phase of the at least one first emitter and the at least one secondemitter.
 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or more operationscomprise operations for modulating the duty cycle of the at least onefirst emitter and the at least one second emitter in response to asensor input from at least one occupant sensor communicably engaged withthe controller.
 15. The system of claim 13 wherein the one or moreoperations comprise operations for modulating the duty cycle of the atleast one first emitter and the at least one second emitter in responseto a sensor input from at least one radiation sensor communicablyengaged with the controller.
 16. The system of claim 13 wherein the oneor more operations comprise operations for modulating the duty cycleand/or phase of one or both of the at least one first emitter and the atleast one second emitter according to a kinetic model associated with atleast one microorganism.
 17. A germicidal disinfection systemcomprising: at least one first emitter configured to emit ultravioletlight at a first wavelength in the range of 207 to 225 nanometers; atleast one second emitter configured to emit ultraviolet light at asecond wavelength between 200 and 280 nanometers; and a controlleroperably engaged with the at least one first emitter and the at leastone second emitter to pulse an emission of ultraviolet light comprisingthe first wavelength from the at least one first emitter and pulse anemission of ultraviolet light comprising the second wavelength from theat least one second emitter according to one or more control parameters,wherein the one or more control parameters comprise parameters formodulating a duty cycle of the at least one first emitter and the atleast one second emitter and parameters for modulating a phase of the atleast one first emitter and the at least one second emitter.
 18. Thesystem of claim 17 further comprising at least one third emitterconfigured to emit visible light at a third wavelength of greater than400 nanometers.
 19. The system of claim 17 wherein the one or morecontrol parameters comprise parameters for modulating the duty cycle ofone or both of the at least one first emitter and the at least onesecond emitter in response to a sensor input from at least one sensorcommunicably engaged with the controller.
 20. The system of claim 19wherein the at least one sensor is selected from the group consisting ofa radiation sensor, a ranging sensor, a motion sensor, an imagingsensor, a camera, and an acoustic transducer.